A Simple Crush
by Molotov
Summary: Scott likes Kitty. Kitty likes Scott. Neither of them have the courage to tell each other how they feel. Sure, it's not your normal story, it's a Scott/Kitty thing that came to me one day (not at all like a vision). So...here it is. Enjoy.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution. Marvel and Kid's WB do (and they better renew for a fourth season, dammit).  
  
Author's Notes: This story takes place sometime after Season 1 ends and before Season 2 begins. Oh, and you may read this story and ask _Why?_ The simple answer is, I wanted to, the idea popped into my head and wouldn't go away, and it's something different. And I'm bored. Different doesn't necessarily mean 'bad' and hey, it's a little variety. That never hurt anyone, did it? So read it, enjoy it, review it.  
  
Common sense - stuff in _italics_ are thoughts. Oh, and Kitty's typing is in **_bolded italics_**. Cause they're sort of like thoughts, but not quite. But they're still in italics.  
  
Review this, if you want. Positive reviews, negative reviews, constructive criticism, all of it is openly accepted (flame me, love me, hate me, adore me).  
  
I wasn't too pleased with this when I first posted it. Let that be a lesson - posting things when you're half asleep at 2 a.m. isn't a wise move. So I took it down, tweaked it a bit more, had it beta read (thanks Post), tweaked it some more, and viola, here you go.  
  
  
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**A Simple Crush**

  
  
  
Katherine Pryde, known as Kitty to others, stared out of her bedroom window in the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, idly typing up a letter to her parents on a laptop computer.  
  
**_So here I am, sitting in my bed, writing to you. It's five o'clock, and I'm sooooooo bored. I came down with the flu a few days ago, so I haven't been able to do much except sit in bed all day. Only Mr. Logan has really been able to see me, since he's the only one who won't get sick. Rogue was angry because I got to keep the room all for myself, since like, the Professor doesn't want her to get sick either. I feel kind of b..._**  
  
A knock at the door interrupted Kitty's typing.  
  
"Who is it?" the young girl called out.  
  
"It's Scott," called a voice from outside.  
  
"Oh, well, come in then."  
  
A handsome brown-haired young man stepped into the room, wearing a warm smile and a pair of red sunglasses. It was Scott Summers, eldest of the students at the Institute, and the leader of the X-Men.  
  
"Hey Kitty. Don't worry, this'll be quick. Wouldn't want to get sick, now would I?" He ignored the girl's indignant look and pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind him. "Just a little 'Get Well Soon' present from everyone." He set the flowers down on the nightstand next to Kitty's bed and backed out of the room, the same warm smile on his face. Kitty returned one of her own, truly touched at the gesture of kindness.  
  
"Be sure to thank everyone for me!" she said as he left the room.  
  
"Sure thing, Kitty," Scott called from the other side of the door.  
  
Kitty picked up the flowers and held them to her nose, breathing in long and hard. Which led to a bit of coughing and spluttering on her part. Her nose was so stopped up that she couldn't get much of a smell out of them, and the deep breaths angered something down in her lungs. "_Oh well, it's the thought that counts, I guess,_" she thought to herself.  
  
She looked around for something that could work as a vase, but found nothing, and so resumed with her typing.  
  
**_...ad for her, kicking her out of her own room. Aw, how sweet. Scott just brought me in some flowers as a get well present from everyone. They're beautiful, even if I'm too sick to smell them._**  
  
She stopped typing and let what she wrote sink into her brain.  
  
_Scott brought me flowers._  
  
Kitty giggled, her face turning a light shade of crimson. _If Scott had only brought the flowers to me by himself, and not as a present from the others..._  
  
She closed her eyes and smiled happily, wrapping her arms around herself and gently rocking back and forth, letting herself indulge in her little fantasy.  
  
So she had a crush on Scott Summers. Big deal. She couldn't think of a girl in Bayville who probably didn't. Even Rogue, in her dark clothes and bad make-up had a crush on Scott. The poor boy was totally oblivious to it all, though.  
  
_Too bad it would like, never happen. I mean, obviously Scott wouldn't want to go out with me. He's so totally into Jean, and besides, he's a senior, and I'm not, and he could have any girl he wanted, so why would be ever pick me?_  
  
Wishing that wasn't true, Kitty put aside thoughts of mega-cute mutant boys and resumed writing her letter.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
_Scott, you know that wasn't right. She's too young._ He had to agree with what his mind told him. There was a three year difference in their ages. But lately, he couldn't stop thinking about Kitty. There was...something about the girl that drove him wild, to the point that she was all he thought about.  
  
_Whatever happened to Jean?_  
  
That was a question Scott Summers always ended up asking himself when thoughts of Kitty started to overwhelm him. Somewhere, deep inside, he still had feelings for Jean. How could he not? They'd known each other for such a long time and were the best of friends. Jean was everything a guy could want in a girl: beauty, brains, compassion, strength, confidence, everything.  
  
Of course, the answer to his question was obvious: Duncan Matthews, the stupid blond captain of the football team. Jean was spending most of her free time with him, much to Scott's disliking.  
  
And that was how he found himself less drawn to her as time progressed and more towards the cute, bubbly Valley Girl of the Institute.  
  
Kitty also had all the qualities one could ask for in a girl: a beauty all her own, an innocence that captivated Scott, a fierce sense of loyalty, grace, charm, and beneath all of her superficial teenage ways, she was a very intelligent person. And she had a dazzling smile.  
  
For some reason, her smile made him feel weak in the knees. And it amazed him that he didn't fall flat on his face when he went into her room.  
  
He was pretty sure that she liked him too. He wasn't as totally oblivious to what girls thought of him, despite what others said. He'd seen the way she would sometimes linger near him or smile when she thought his back was turned. That was why he took the first step with the flowers.  
  
_I think she liked the flowers. She looked like she did. I wonder if she'll ever find out that it was just me who got them for her... God, I hope she doesn't._  
  
_Well, why not? I thought you liked her._  
  
_You have a point...maybe she'll think Kurt got them for her..._  
  
So he had a crush on Kitty Pryde. Big deal. There was just something about her that...  
  
"Hey man. What are you doin'?"  
  
Scott turned around and looked down at Evan Daniels.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
The dark-skinned boy poked Scott in the chest and gestured to the side of him. "Is there any reason why you're standing in the middle of the hallway?"  
  
Scott blinked hard behind his glasses and looked around. After delivering the flowers, he hadn't taken more than two steps away from Kitty's room before becoming lost in his thoughts.  
  
"Oh...uh, sorry," he replied sheepishly. He stepped out of the way and against the wall, letting Evan pass by.  
  
The dark-skinned boy shook his head and muttered something along the lines of "if you had only answered me a second later, you'd have a spike to go with that pole up your ass" and walked into his room.  
  
Scott shook his head, happy that he didn't mention anything about the flowers, or where Scott had gone after school. He chose to ignore the younger boy's remark, however. After school, he dropped off Kurt, Evan, and Rogue and took off again in a hurry, which was when he went to get the flowers. He hoped they assumed that he was just upset over Jean getting a ride home with Duncan.  
  
From out of nowhere and in his usual fashion, Kurt Wagner appeared in a cloud of brimstone and sulphur-stinking smoke.  
  
"So, Meester Cyclops, you want to tell me vhat those flowers you had were for?"  
  
Scott felt that sinking pit in his stomach and screamed _Oh crap!_ in his head, but showed nothing on the outside.  
  
"What are you talking about, Kurt?" trying to stay calm and collected.  
  
"The flowers you vent and got after school, man!"  
  
"Oh. Those. Well...it's a secret." _Be calm. Be cool._  
  
Kurt's pointed blue ears perked up and he practically danced. "Oooooh, you have a girlfriend! I bet they were for Jean, ja?"  
  
_Jean? Jean! Kurt, you're a genius!_  
  
"Uh yeah...Yeah!" Scott said, very much relieved. "But do me a favor...don't tell her. Or anyone else for that matter."  
  
"No problem!" Kurt exclaimed. "You can trust the fuzzy dude to keep it on the down-low, ja?1"  
  
Scott matched Kurt's grin with one of his own.  
  
_Man...I got lucky there. I'll have to be more careful in the future._  
  
And suddenly, the furry young man's yellow eyes took a devious glint. "I haven't seen Keety in a while...I think I should say hello..."  
  
Scott clapsed his shoulder hard. "I wouldn't do that. I just checked in on her, and she said she was really tired. For her sake, don't go bug her right now. Maybe after dinner?" he suggested.  
  
Kurt's mouth slanted and he thought to himself for a moment. "Fine, mein freund. I do have homework to do..."  
  
"It's settled then," Scott said, pushing Kurt to his room, closing the door behind him.  
  
He stuck his head into the room a moment later and said, "Remember. Don't say anything to Jean or anybody else," happily playing along with the lie he was now spinning.  
  
Kurt gave him a thumbs up and grinned, flashing those sharp fangs he called teeth.  
  
Scott wiped a hand across his forehead, breathing a small sigh of relief. He had managed to keep his secret a little longer, but he was going to have to come up with better lies to fool the others.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Two hours later, the residents of the Institute (sans the sick Kitty), were arranged at the dinner table, Kurt flashing stupid smiles to Scott, who just shook his head. If anyone noticed, they didn't say so. The dinner went on, just like every other meal, full of small talk and the like, until...  
  
Logan growled deep in his throat. "Would someone else mind taking this food up to the Half-Pint?" He held a plate with a paper towel draped over it in the air.  
  
The gruff man didn't look forward to taking the food upstairs to Kitty. For the past two nights, the girl had lectured him on nutrition and why meat was bad. Logan didn't mind if she was a vegitarian, but he could do without her pressing her beliefs onto him.  
  
"I'll do it!" Kurt exclaimed, jumping out of his chair.  
  
"Uh...how about I take it?" Scott volunteered, washing his plate in the sink. "I think the last thing Kitty wants while she's sick is Kurt popping in and scaring her to death." Everyone in the room laughed, and Kurt opened his mouth to speak. "I'll take it," Scott said firmly, taking the plate from Kurt, who had taken it from Logan. The older mutant snatched a bottle of water from the refrigerator and picked up and picked up a clean fork before heading up the stairs.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Kitty heard a knock at her door and glanced over at the clock.  
  
_Must be dinner._  
  
"Come in, Mr. Logan," she called out.  
  
Outside the door, Scott clearly heard what the girl said, and stifled a laugh. "You come get in, Half-Pint," he said, mimicking his voice in the fashion of Logan's as much as possible. "You need ta get your strength back up. Walkin'll do ya some good."  
  
Kitty furrowed her brows and she looked off to the side, setting aside the book she was reading.  
  
She was tired, and didn't want to get up, but...  
  
_He sounds strange..._ she told herself. _I wonder I went and got him sick..._  
  
Kitty phased her head through the door and...well, squeaked. Rather than facing the typical rough, scowling Canadian, she was looking at...Scott Summers with a big, goofy grin plastered to his face.  
  
"Where's Logan?" she inquired, phasing completely through the door.  
  
"Logan? He was never here. Or," he paused, clearing his throat. "D'ya mean me?" he finished, in his awful growling voice.  
  
Kitty's eyes narrowed for a moment. "What's going on?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Where's Mr. Logan?"  
  
"Oh, well uh..." Scott looked around for a moment. "He had to go somewhere, so I brought you up your dinner."  
  
Kitty arched an eyebrow and said, "Is that so? He just...went somewhere?"  
  
"Come on, would I lie to you?" Scott asked, flashing a big smile.  
  
Kitty's face softened. She didn't believe him but... That smile of his was just too much.  
  
"Like, sorry," she said. "I guess I'm not so used to you being so...Kurt-ish."  
  
"Aww, I'm not _that_ bad, am I?"  
  
The girl didn't say anything, but turned her head away shyly.  
  
Scott made a face. "I am, huh?"  
  
Kitty shook her head. "No, it's ok. It's just so...different from your normal self, you know?"  
  
Scott sighed. "I suppose I should take Kurt's advice and lighten up more often. Well anyway," he said, changing the subject," Here's dinner." He held out the plate in front of him.  
  
Kitty lifted the paper towel to inspect the food, and gave an approving nod.  
  
"Thanks," she said, stepping backwards and through the door.  
  
She had only gone a couple of feet when the door behind her opened up.  
  
"Hey uh..." Scott stammered, looking down at the floor. "I was just wondering if uh...you wanted some company. Since you haven't been out in a while...you know."  
  
After the initial shock had subsided, Kitty smiled warmly. "S..sure."  
  
_Oh, he's just being nice, that's all. But omigod, wouldn't it be great if he'd, like... Just wishful thinking, I guess._  
  
She walked very slowly and carefully so as not to accidently trip up and fall on her face in front of Scott. She knew that she'd just _die_ from embarrassment of that that happened.  
  
Scott just smiled to her back, proud of himself that he managed to pull that off so well.  
  
_Well, I've taken the first steps into this, but it isn't too late to back out now...  
  
Do you really like her? Like I/you/we said, it isn't too late to back out now.  
  
No...I _**do**_ like her...  
  
Then let's get this show on the road..._  
  
Feeling as giddy as a sugar-filled eight year old, Scott pulled a chair up alongside her bed slid into it, unleashing the biggest, brightest smile he could manage...  
  
  
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Alright, so this probably wouldn't work out in the show, but hey, it's fan fiction, where anything can happen.  
  
If you out there in Reader Land like this, I'll write more. Hell, I'll probably write more regardless, even if you don't like it.  



	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution or anything else in this story (except the story itself). Marvel and Kid's WB do (and they better renew for a fourth season, dammit).  
  
Author's Notes: This story takes place sometime after Season 1 ends and before Season 2 begins. Oh, and you may read this story and ask _Why?_ The simple answer is, I wanted to, the idea popped into my head and wouldn't go away, and it's something different. And I'm bored. Different doesn't necessarily mean 'bad' and hey, it's a little variety. That never hurt anyone, did it? So read it, enjoy it, review it.  
  
Stuff in _italics_ are thoughts.   
A big thanks goes to Post, for without him, this chapter would have come along much slower. Post, you rock.  
  
Thanks for all the reviews, people! They were all very nice and positive. Granted, I know this could never work out in the show, it's never a shame to try out something new.  
  
Review this, if you want. Positive reviews, negative reviews, constructive criticism, all of it is openly accepted (flame me, love me, hate me, adore me).  
  
  
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**A Simple Crush**

  


**Chapter 2**

  
  
  
"Scott, are you sure you like, won't get sick?" Kitty asked for the umpteenth time.  
  
Scott let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes Kitty, I'm sure you won't get me sick," he said, a touch of annoyance in his voice. He had lost count, just how many times he'd said that.  
  
"I'm sorry! It's just, I'd feel so totally bad if I went and gave you the flu."  
  
Scott glanced at her sideways. "Is this your way of saying you want me to leave?" He started to stand up, but two small hands lanced forward, yanking him back into the chair.  
  
"Don't go, please. I'm sorry. I just don't want to you get sick, too," Kitty said apologetically.  
  
"Kitty, I've lived in cold weather my entire life," he said reassuringly. "It takes more than just talking to you to get me sick." He set a hand on her shoulder and bent his head down, and looked her in the eyes (even if she couldn't tell). "I'll be fine. Now don't ask me that question anymore. Ok?"  
  
"Okay..." she replied meekly.  
  
"Good," Scott said, reluctantly taking his hand away from her. He noticed that she still hadn't let go of his arm, from his half-hearted move to leave. He was content with them staying. Her hands were so smooth and cool...they made silk feel like sandpaper.  
  
"Look on the bright side. Kurt could be here instead of me."  
  
She made a face, similar to one a child makes, when forced to take some foul medicine.  
  
Scott just laughed.  
  
"It's not that I don't like Kurt, but...like, the last thing I need when I'm sick is him, acting all...well, acting all 'Kurtty.' " Kitty giggled at her own little joke.  
  
Glancing down at the still-covered plate of food in Kitty's lap, Scott said, "So...are you going to eat any time soon?"  
  
Kitty pulled her hands away from his arm (much to his disliking) and to the plate. "Oh right. Sorry," she said, before dipping the fork down into the food and bringing it back up to her mouth.  
  
Scott sat dumbstruck, silently watching her eat. It was amazing, how much pleasure (not _that_ kind, pervert) he was deriving from something as simple as watching the way her lips pressed down on the fork as it entered her mouth, the motions of her jaw as she chewed, the working of her throat as she swallowed.  
  
"Hey Scott?"  
  
The man in question snapped out of his blissful gazing, and gave a brief start. "Yeah?" He was proud of how quickly he recovered from that.  
  
"Why don't you talk about something?"  
  
"Talk about something?"  
  
"Yeah. Tell me about...how things were here, before I came."  
  
Scott furrowed his brows in confusion. She wanted him to talk? And about what Institute was like before she came? The first thing that came to his lovestruck mind was '_lacking_,' but he couldn't say that out loud. At least not yet.  
  
He rubbed his chin for a moment before finally saying something. "Um. How far back do you want me to go?"  
  
"As far as you want to go," Kitty told him.  
  
Humming softly, Scott continued to rub his chin. That sort of thing seemed to help people concentrate. It didn't do much for him, but being around Kitty made his basic motor skills shut down.  
  
"Quiet," he said at last, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way. "For the longest time, it was just me, Jean, Professor Xavier, and Ororo. And with the Institute being so big, things were...quiet."  
  
"Do you still like, wish it were quiet like before?"  
  
"If you had asked me that before this batch of new students came in, I would have said no. But now..."  
  
Kitty started to giggle, but it cut off sharply as she started to cough. Scott handed her the bottle of water he had brought up, and she took a long drink.  
  
Wiping her mouth off on the back of her hand, she grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess it like, went down the wrong way."  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
Scott smiled. "I guess I'll have to stop saying funny things from now on, huh?"  
  
Surprisingly, that brought on a fresh new bout of laughter from the younger girl.  
  
"Um. Did I miss something there?"  
  
That only added to Kitty's delight.  
  
Once the laughter had finally subsided, she explained it to Scott. "Like, no offense, but you hardly _ever_ say anything funny. You're always so serious and mature and..." She trailed off and started to laugh again.  
  
Scott, on the other hand, started to take offense to what she said. _I'm not that bad,_ he reassured himself.  
  
Then he steadily realized that she was just poking fun, and besides, he could never stay mad at anything that made Kitty laugh like that. It made her look all the more beautiful. He laughed too, so she'd know that knew it was all in good fun.  
  
As Kitty's second bout of laughter died away, she couldn't help but agree with Scott. Until recently, there had been only eight people living in the mansion, nine if you counted Logan, but he was always going off on his own accord. But some new mutants arrived, and it was now double the previous occupancy. There was still plenty of room in the sprawling estate, but it certainly made things feel more crowded.  
  
"Right...uh, quiet." Scott took it on his own initiative to resume talking. "It was always quiet around here, but especially back when Jean and I were the only students, and even before Jean came. But I'm sure you want to hear something other than how quiet it was. I probably sound like I regret having all of you here."  
  
"Do you?" Kitty asked.  
  
Scott shook his head and grinned. "Nah, except when I have to go to the bathroom."  
  
Kitty laughed carefully at that. She didn't want a repeat of the incident only moments ago.  
  
He continued talking afterwards, but he felt more like he was rambling, sometimes. He spoke a little of his brother, with whom he'd recently been reunited with, and how he was disappointed that he wouldn't come to the Institute. Scott touched a bit on his life before he came to the Institute; the wounds of losing his parents would fester inside of him forever. He told a little story of an incident that occured shortly after Jean arrived - she didn't have the control over her powers that she now held, and sneezed once while Scott was in the room, blowing off his shirt. He talked about Kurt, and how the two of them had followed Wolverine one day, and ended up in a skirmish with Sabertooth. That, of course, happened when the Professor and Jean had gone to recruit Kitty. And that led to Scott inadvertently saying something he didn't mean to say...  
  
"I remember when the Professor picked up your mutant signature on Cerebro... Kurt, Jean, and I were with the Professor, and when Kurt saw your picture, he said, 'Oh man, she's cute.' " Scott tried to imitate the German boy's accent as well as he could muster, but he mangled it horribly. Kitty laughed softly around her chewing, a faint shade of pink showing in her cheeks. "And I remember thinking to myself, 'Wow, she is cute.' " Scott stopped, partly because it was the end of the sentence, and partly because he was just finally realizing just what he had said. A mixture of fear and embarrassment slid through every inch of his body.  
  
_Oh no... Tell me I just didn't say that out loud..._  
  
But he did. And Kitty heard it, too; loud and clear, in fact. As a flood of confused emotions surged through her body, she swallowed wrong and...  
  
Scott jumped to his feet as Kitty began coughing and he started to panic. Not just because she was choking, but also because of what it was that made her start choking. Kitty pressed her hands to her throat, but her choking coughs continued on, growing harsher with each passing moment.  
  
It suddenly dawned on Scott, just what was happening, and it was something a drink of water wouldn't fix up. Pulling Kitty out of the bed, he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her body to his. He brought his hands up to her stomach and was about to perform the Heimlich maneuver when he noticed that Kitty wasn't coughing anymore. She was still breathing...he could _literally_ feel her taking ragged, deep breaths.  
  
"K...Kitty?" He was surprised he could say anything. His throat felt dry as a bone.  
  
She slowly turned her head around and looked up at Scott, and her face heated to the color of his glasses. It didn't take long after, when Scott's did the same.  
  
The two simply stared at each other, neither daring to move or say a word. Just stare, blushing like furnaces, and unsure as to what exactly was happening.  
  
Scott slowly began to realize the heat radiating from where he was pressing her body to his, and from his hands still on her stomach. He pushed himself away from her, very nearly knocking the girl over in the process. It didn't lessen the heat in either of their faces.  
  
Scott licked his lips and swallowed hard. Speaking wasn't going to come very easily. "I, uh...I thought...you were...choking...and I was just trying to... I've gotta go now!" He spun around and darted out the door, leaving a stunned Kitty behind.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Standing outside Kitty's room, Scott unleashed a full-on mental berating of himself.  
  
_Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..._ echoed through his brain. How could I have been so stupid?  
  
He fought the urge to whimper in anguish, but couldn't shake off the feeling that everything he had gained that day was for naught.  
  
_Why, oh why did I tell her that? **WHY**? She's got to hate me now. I almost made her choke to death, for Christ's sake!_  
  
As he slowly and painfully made his way to his own room, he sneezed, surprising himself. In a way, he was fortunate for that sneeze - it's sudden occurence took his mind off the mess he just made in Kitty's room, if only briefly.  
  
Stepping into his room, he collapsed onto the bed, pausing only to replace his glasses with his visor. At that moment, all he wanted was to sleep, to be released from the mess he had surely gotten himself into.  
  
_Sleep. Sleep will do me good. It'll take my mind off that. Yes. Sleep._  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Back in her room, Kitty was still trying to gauge what just happened. No single emotion set itself apart from the tangled melee that was how she felt at that moment, and she was a complete loss for words.  
  
Correction - she could think of one thing to say, but that one thing only.  
  
_That was like...mega weird._  
  
She numbly made her way back into her bed, methodically cleaning up the food that was knocked over when Scott yanked her out of bed.  
  
Setting the plate onto the chair that Scott had inhabited only minutes ago, Kitty flicked off the lamp by her bed, plunging the room into darkness. It was a good thing that she was already wearing the oversized pink shirt and shorts that she normally slept in - with her emotions so...raw, she would have probably lain in whatever she was wearing.  
  
Settling into the soft mattress, she pulled the blanket up and around her body, hugging it close. It felt so warm and comforting...like Scott's arms felt as he wrapped them around her slim frame, ready to stop her from choking.  
  
A small smile began to spread across Kitty's face as her thoughts began to grow clearer.  
  
_Scott thinks I'm cute..._  
  
Kitty never considered the possibility that Scott was attracted to her. Sure, she thought he was cute, but so did every girl that ever looked at him. But Scott Summers said that she was cute...  
  
She wrapped the blanket even tighter around her body, wishing that it were Scott, with his arms around her instead.  
  
Feeling better than she had in weeks, Kitty slept well that night, dreaming peaceful dreams of dark-haired young man with red sunglasses.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Kitty Pryde opened her eyes groggily and stretched out underneath her blankets. She smiled lazily at the sunlight streaming into her room. It felt so warm and inviting and refreshing...  
  
But then Kitty noticed how odd she felt.  
  
Strange. Her nose wasn't stopped up, her throat was no longer sore, she wasn't shivering from chills. In fact, she felt...great.  
  
She sprung out of bed and frolicked around the room, humming softly to herself, regaling in the fact that she wasn't sick anymore.  
  
Phasing through her door, she ran down the stairs and bounded into the kitchen. "Good morning," she chirped happily to Jean and Rogue, who happened to have been the only people in the room at the moment.  
  
"Feeling better?" Jean asked, as Kitty opened up the refrigerator, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.  
  
"Much better," she replied, setting a now half-empty glass back onto the counter.  
  
"Good. Now 'ah can have my room back," Rogue drawled in her lazy Southern accent. "Yah better not have touched my stuff while 'ah gone, or you're so dead."  
  
"Aw geez, Rogue. Relax. Like I'd ever get _that_ bored." She ignored Rogue's indignant look and changed the subject. "Say, have either of you seen Scott?" She really needed to talk to him, to clear up that whole awkward situation from the night before.  
  
Rogue just smirked.  
  
"Scott?" Jean hid a small smile behind her hand. "He's uh...in bed...sick."  
  
  
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Er, I apologize for the 'Scott watching Kitty eat' scene felt like it was loaded with innuendo. I'm sorry if it did - I didn't quite plan for that.  
  



	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution or anything else in this story (except the story itself). So no own - no sue.  
  
Author's Notes: This story takes place sometime after Season 1 ends and before Season 2 begins. Oh, and you may read this story and ask _Why?_ The simple answer is, I wanted to, the idea popped into my head and wouldn't go away, and it's something different. And I'm bored. Different doesn't necessarily mean 'bad' and hey, it's a little variety. That never hurt anyone, did it? So read it, enjoy it, review it.  
  
Stuff in _italics_ are thoughts. The ~~~ signifies a flashback (plus the whole passage is in _italics_).  
  
Review this, if you want. Positive reviews, negative reviews, constructive criticism, all of it is openly accepted (flame me, love me, hate me, adore me).  
  
Bleh. I'm sorry this took so long to write. It wasn't that I didn't want to write...I did, but real-life issues and an epic arm-fic kinda get in the way, you know?  
  
  
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**A Simple Crush**

  


**Chapter 3**

  
  
  
Scott Summers was miserable. There was no other way to express how he felt. Utterly miserable.  
  
Part of it was that sleep didn't help lift the burden of the night before. He wasn't sure what he'd end up doing...he could just avoid Kitty at all costs. If he ended up running into her...he could always pretend that never happened.  
  
He slowly slunked his way out of bed, bright and early as usual, and made his way to the bathroom. He felt horrible, but not entirely because of the previous night's events. He just...felt bad; physically. Scott chalked it down to just being tired, the typical early morning grogginess.  
  
Kicking off the shoes he had fallen asleep in, he clenched his eyes shut and took off his visor, carefully setting it on the counter. He slipped off the remainder of his clothing and went into the shower, feeling for the knobs in the wall. He sagged against the wall in relief as the warm water cascaded down his body.  
  
He didn't bother to clean himself thoroughly. He had the placement of the soap and shampoo memorized, so his inability to see didn't matter. In fact, he merely stood and leaned against the wall until the hot water turned warm, turned lukewarm, turned cool, turned freezing. The others would be mad, but he felt too miserable to care.  
  
Much to his disappointment, the shower didn't seem to do anything to improve how he felt.  
  
Scott shut off the water and carefully exited the shower, and slipped his visor back on, sighing in relief when he opened his eyes. And then he swore loudly.  
  
Grabbing a towel from the closet, he closed his eyes and pulled off the visor, wiping away the built-up condensation on the lens, caused by the hot water. He nodded as he slipped it back on, able to see again. Everything was still red, but it was vision, nonetheless.  
  
He grunted and rubbed his temples, leaning onto the counter for balance. His head was pounding...but he shrugged it off. Scott merely attributed it to his head injury, the one that made sure that he would be chained behind red ruby quartz all his life. For a brief moment, he thought back to what Magneto had done to him and his brother...it had been amazing to have complete control over his powers, something he'd never be able to do naturally. But it had come at too high of a cost; his emotions were wiped clean, his loyalty belonging to only Magneto, the man for whom he had nearly killed his teammates, his friends for. Because he was so selfish...  
  
Scott had vowed that from that day forward, he'd never put his wants and desires above those of others, especially those he cared for so deeply. A small part of him said that it was unfair to do that to himself, but the innate sense of leadership inside of him dictated otherwise, and he listened to that far too often.  
  
But he hadn't the night before...  
  
"And look at what it cost me..." he said wistfully.  
  
Scott wiped the steam-covered mirror and stared at his own reflection. He looked surprisingly haggard.  
  
_Must not be getting enough sleep or something,_ he told himself.  
  
He sneezed, and looked back at himself in shock. He surprised himself even further when he had to breathe in sharply through his nose, forcing the mucus back into his head. Scott hung his head and groaned. The source of his misery had finally dawned on him.  
  
_Great. This is just great._  
  
The young mutant wrapped a towel tightly around his waist and gathered his old clothing, and stepped out the room...  
  
...And right into Jean Grey.  
  
She appeared to be heading for the bathroom, too, as was made apparent by her still wearing the oversized t-shirt she slept in, and the towel in her arms.  
  
Normally, simply being in the same room with Jean was enough to make Scott go weak in the knees, and touching her, even if accidentally brushing up against her arm, brought him to the edge. But not this time. He had something (or _someone_) else on his mind, and it contributed to his waning interest in the red-haired beauty that stood before him.  
  
"Huh? Oh. Sorry," he apologized, but his monotone said he didn't notice. Or didn't care.  
  
Jean blushed and looked away from his bare torso, but her eyes drifted back to it, regardless. "S..Sorry," she stammered. I guess I should just w...watch where I'm going next time."  
  
Scott mumbled something and slunk his way past her.  
  
"Are you feeling alright?" Jean asked to his retreating back.  
  
"I'm fine," he replied, not bothering to stop.  
  
Scott did stop, however, when he felt something tug at his towel. He spun around and scowled at Jean. "I said I'm fine," he told her irritably.  
  
"Don't lie to me, Scott Summers," Jean said, her tone indignant.  
  
He grunted. "You shouldn't be going into people's heads with their permis--"  
  
Jean smiled wickedly. "I don't need telepathy to know when you aren't telling me the truth," she said, cutting him off. Her voice then took on a motherly tone. "You don't look so well. Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
Scott shrugged his shoulders. "It's early. What do you expect?"  
  
In one graceful step, the red-haired mutant stepped in front of Scott and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "My...you're burning up."  
  
"I just got out of a hot shower. What do you expect?" As if it were rehearsed, Scott sneezed. He barely remembered to cover his face with his hand so as to not sneeze in Jean's face. She would be none too appreciative for that. He inhaled through his nose, forcing the drainage from his sinuses back up into his nasal cavity.  
  
"I guess you're right. I must have caught some of...Kitty's flu." If Jean noticed the reluctance when Scott said Kitty's name, she didn't let on.  
  
Jean clicked her tongue between her teeth. "C'mon, we're getting you to bed." Scott protested, but the combination of being sick, and the realization that he was clad in only a towel meant he put up a very weak fight.  
  
Jean gave him enough privacy so that he could at least put on some pants, before rushing him into bed and tending to him like a worried mother.  
  
"Now you stay in this bed," she told him for the twentieth time, pulling the blanket over his body and up to his neck. "You stay right here, and rest. I'll go down and get you some chicken soup, okay?"  
  
Scott could only groan. He had stopped trying to fend her off by the time she had barged into the room after he had just barely buttoned up his jeans.  
  
_I should make her stop,_ he muttered in his head, careful as to not project any of his thoughts. _I should get up and throw her out and..._ He pulled the blanket closer to his body as he tried to suppress a sudden chill that he beset him. _Ok...maybe she's right. Besides, if I'm in here, I don't have to worry about seeing Kitty..._  
  
  
*****  
  
  
_Calm down Kitty, just calm down... It's only a guy... A guy you've seen every day for...how long have I lived here? He's just a guy... Any old guy... A mega-hot guy who said I was cute... Oh, you're no help._  
  
Kitty Pryde was practically dancing in place, but had to be careful for the steaming bowl of chicken soup she held in her hands. She had to practically pry it out of Jean's hands down in the kitchen...  
  
~~~  
_  
"Scott?" Jean hid a small smile behind her hand. "He's uh...in bed...sick."  
  
Kitty nearly choked on her orange juice from that bit of news.  
  
Then she blushed, thinking back to the night before, with the choking, and Scott's arms wrapped around her and...  
  
"S...sick?" she squeaked.  
  
Jean nodded. "I think he caught a little of your flu."  
  
Kitty's face flushed to an exact shade of Jean's hair.  
  
Rogue chuckled low in her throat. "I guess you're feelin' better now?"  
  
Kitty nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, but... Oh God, I like, feel so bad now! Especially after he was so nice, bringing me my dinner last night." **And other things...** a devilish part of her conscience said.  
  
That won another laugh from Rogue (the part she said out loud).  
  
"Well, I'm about to take this soup up to Scott, if you want to come with me," Jean said, gesturing to a bowl resting on the counter, heat vapors rising off the top.  
  
Kitty bolted over and picked up the bowl. "I'll take it to him!" She quickly set it back down on the counter and blew on her hands. The bowl was **very hot**. "I'll take it up there. It's the least I can do, for getting him sick and all..."  
  
Jean nodded reluctantly. "But don't stay up there too long. You wouldn't want to get sick again," she warned.  
  
Kitty nodded and slid an oven mitt over a hand before carefully picking up the bowl and leaving the room.  
_  
~~~  
  
Well...maybe 'pry' was too strong of a word.  
  
Kitty felt numb, her emotions in a tangled mess. She didn't know what to think, what to say, or what to feel.  
  
_He said I was cute... But...he likes Jean, right? I mean, he just thinks I'm like, his little sister or something... But he said I was cute... What am I supposed to say to him?_  
  
She bit down on her lower lip, utter confusion wracking her body.  
  
She took a deep breath, long and slow.  
  
_It's too late to turn back now..._  
  
Kitty reached out with an unsteady hand, balled up, and rapped her knuckles against the cold, hard wood of the door...  
  
  
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